Telford-based Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (www.hexagonmi.com) has launched PC-DMIS 2017 R2, the latest edition of the company’s measurement software.

This major release is the second of two scheduled for PC-DMIS in 2017, with updates to ensure maximum system reliability.

PC-DMIS 2017 R2 introduces ‘Slideshow for Inspect’ software, allowing users to create unlimited customisable layouts with inspection results populated during measurement.

Hexagon’s Inspect software was first introduced with PC-DMIS 2017 R1 in January 2017 as a simple front-end for PC-DMIS measurement routines.

The optional Slideshow tab (an additional licence is required), can display multiple slides of dimensional and information labels whenever users execute a measurement routine; moreover, the native mesh resolution is improved from import to visualisation.

PC-DMIS 2017 R2 makes it easier to apply a colour map to the mesh data object and create annotation points, align mesh data objects to the CAD model or align a mesh to another mesh object. The ‘Vision Live View’ now shows which features have already been programmed without the need to swap to CAD view.

A further enhancement is that CAM models from Vero Software’s VISI system can now be directly imported into PC-DMIS, complete with identified ‘control points’ that can be automatically converted to measurements.

Furthermore, CAD file import is now ‘multi-processor-aware’ for greater speed. Also, a new ‘Virtual Machine’ dialogue is contained in the tree-view arrangement; this provides easier machine selection, with an added ‘Table Only’ category so that programming can be completed even when the exact machine is not known.

Ken Woodbine, Hexagon’s product line manager for metrology software, says: “PC-DMIS 2017 R2 offers overall work-flow improvements across all areas of the product. By refining the user experience, it removes friction in the key activities of creation, validation, execution and analysis of measurement routines and their results.”

Other notable improvements in PC-DMIS 2017 R2 include: CREO direct CAD interface; four-axis scanning; support for LSP-S2 Scan+ probes; HP-THD touch-probe support; machine dialogue capabilities; a new SolidEdge CAD translator; and QuickScan support for laser probes.